LASAN RESTAURANT: Berlin, Germany

Its been yonks since I dedicate myself to writing in here. But I've been busy working and saving up for Europe.

Right now I am in Berlin and spending my last couple of days here just chillaxing after exhausting myself from constant exploration of this exceptionally historical city.

Today, the husband and me decided to go to Kottbusser Tor station in the area of the infamous PUNK suburb - Kreuzberg SO36. Of course only remnants of the period can be seen here and there together with the amazing diversity of people and culture. Besides, its punk history, it was also one of the biggest settlement for the Turkish people when Germany were looking for masses of people to work in their Industries. When the wall came down, Everyone decided to happily co-exist together.
One of the great characteristic of Kreuzberg is the amazing Graffiti work around the neighbourhood, the constant buzz of people, beautiful ornate and industrial train stations and food!

To me Kreuzberg is a perfect melting pot of everything and that brought me to the magnetic visual of LASAN RESTAURANT. We passed there a few days back while galavanting around the area but were too tired to stop  but I had enough time to scan the pictorial menu and kept in mind about coming back.

So today, as me mossy out of the studio apartment at 2pm, we decided to go to LASAN to eat our super late lunch. LOL.

Address:Adalbert st. 96 ,Kreuzberg U8 U1 Kottbusser Tor Berlin, 10999 Berlin

Telephone: 030 69 81 40 98

Web: http://www.lasan.net

Hours: 10am-12am daily

Lasan is located really close to the Kottbusser Tor train (U1/U8 line) station under these amazing oldskool architectural crescent building I assumed from the 70's or something ( please correct me if I am wrong). Its so retro crazy. lol.

Anyway, when I first saw the menu, I was a bit confused- was it Iranian? Afghani? Its definitely not Turkish. It also have Tandoor which is very much towards the Northern Indina stylings. ( Basically all these area are interconnected due to cultural history)

So after looking at the menu for a longggggg time, we decided to order a Mixed Meat 'Teller' ( normally means like a meal on a plate with several choices) with  with  tandoor bread and Briyani instead of rice (which we had to pay extra for). I especially got OVERTLY excited while waiting to see how it came.

The gorgeous red lipped big eyes waitress later came and served us each a bowl of what it may be pumpkin nut-garlic-potato-tomatoey creamy soup  to start with. I was not sure if it was curry to dip our bread in at first and later after tasting it realised it was soup. The soup was delicious and totally different in herbs character to most soup I've tasted. It was nutty, creamy and very very wholesome.

Our meal came out one after another, First the meat platter, then the bread, lastly the briyani. The table looked Oh so spectacular. My eyes popped out hungrily-After eating frugally for weeks and now a whole splendour of colourful pletora of gorgeous food on your table? I am sold. LOL.

The meat platter came with the basic mediterranean salad of cucumbers, mint, tomatoes. The meat was lamb chunks, a lambchop, chicken chunks and I think a mixed meat mince /kofte-kebab thingy. Meat were all tender and fresh, grilled in their tandoor oven.

The bread was beautifully freshly woodfire tandoor oven baked in the restaurant. ( we can see the guy doing it behind the front windows) The bread looks like a crossbreed of 'Naan'  and "Afghani long 'holey" bread.

As a chilli freak, we asked for chilli, in whihc they gave us 2 versions, A chilli paste thingy and cut green chillies. The chilli/spicy sauce was also very different, I've never had that flavour - sweet, fragrant and spicy, before.. Its not really like Asian or Harissa but with the similar sambal consistency- very beautiful.

When we finished our meal, we were also given tea. in small little glasses- something I adore from the Arab world. heheheh.

Ok, guess where did the food come from?

IRAQ but from the Kurdish culture. It's amazing how similar food are but not really.

UPSIDE
1) Amazing spread of menu
2) Very Friendly staff- venue is children friendly
5) Many seats available. Big area. You can also probably booked the back courtyard for sunctions due to the sheer size of the place.

DOWNSIDE
1)The area is very raw for some who are less adventurous ( i dont really consider this a downside but it is for some?)

Rate:
Price- medium 
Food- 5.5/5
Service- 5/5
Ambiance- Raw/Exotic
Accessibility- 5/5
HALAL

Cornershop- Simple food made exotic

Cornershop

9 Ballarat Street
Yarraville

(03) 9689 0052

Open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

 

MEATBALLS WITH TURKISH BREAD

 

PORK BELLY

 

AMBIANCE

 

BAR AREA

Thanks to a MIFF venue at the Planetarium, I had to google for a good place to eat on the Western side of Melbourne. I was tossing between Dig a pony and Cornershop and thought, the latter would be better. :) I was not in the mood for tapas and wanted real wholesome meal.

Without any reservation, we braved the Westgate bridge, the rain, new roads and finally walked into this dark , candle-lit restaurant. They looked at us poor souls and decided to squeeze us in. So I say, reserve before coming, we were just happened to be lucky that night. 

I went there with knowledge that it serves Mediterranean but I was not prepared when I read on their menu of Ducks and Pork bellies, which sounds familiarly Asian for me. The menu was comprehensive, more than 10 choices of mains which starts from above $12, if I can recall. I say that is an excellent deal for a beautiful, quality ambiance and food! I think both Nic and me were spoilt for choice to what to have. What we thought would take take a couple of minutes to choose ended up for more than 10, and thats when we asked the friendly waitress to help.

Apparently their popular dish was the DUCK, but neither of us ordered that but instead, Nic ordered the Pork Belly on a heaps of Cabbage and me the Meatballs garnished with parmesan on a bed of Rockets with Turkish bread. We also ordered haloumi but it took too long and they kind of forgot, so we cancelled it.

Our verdict? Very good serving size- not too big or too small. The Pork Belly according to Nic was not so crispy as she thought it would be and the cabbage in Soy, was overwhelming, but beautiful. For me, The combination of meatballs and turkish bread actually works well. And the hint of parmesan was an interesting twist to the meal. The sauce was also very Mediterranean with very Moroccan flavours in it.

Will I come back? I will if I have to go West! :) 

PS: Cornershop is very well known for their breakkie more than anything. 

UPSIDE
1) Wholesome fusion of Mediterranean and everything else.
2) Reasonably priced!
3) Very nice Interior
4) Friendly staff
5) Ample parking near the station at the back

DOWNSIDE
1) Must make reservation
2) Make sure they serve all your order.

Rate:
Price- low-medium
Food- 4/5
Service- 3.5/5
Ambiance- Contemporary Retro
Accessibility- 4/5